


Stuck

by hermione_of_vulcan



Category: Deep Dish Nine - Fandom, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-07
Updated: 2014-03-07
Packaged: 2018-01-14 21:09:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1278895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hermione_of_vulcan/pseuds/hermione_of_vulcan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Data and Geordi talk, and Data finds a Chinese finger trap.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stuck

**Author's Note:**

> This is un-beta'ed, I apologize.

Data looked up from cleaning plates as Geordi pushed open the door and walked into the restaurant.

"Why are you here?" Data asked. "We are closed."

"I promised I'd see you," Geordi said. 

Data's eyebrows rose, and he set the stack of plates down. "When people say that, they do not usually mean it literally. Though I always wished it were so. Thank you."

"I thought you'd appreciate it. Here, I'll help you," Geordi said, crossing the room and grabbing the stack of plates out of Data's hands.

"That is not necessary," Data said. "But again I find myself thanking you."

He sounded so surprised. Had no one ever done Data a favor? Did he - did he have friends?

Geordi carried the plates to the kitchen, and he turned around to see Data pick something up from one of the tables. 

"A child's toy, perhaps?" Data said, and he held out a small cylindrical tube.

Geordi pushed his glasses up his nose, but before he could get close enough to see details Data had pushed his fingers into both sides. He tried to pull them out, but the tube squeezed tight. Geordi stifled a chuckle as Data continued struggling, looking thoroughly perplexed.

"It appears that I am...stuck."

Geordi grinned. "My hero," he said. He strode over and pulled the toy off Data's fingers. "They're called Chinese finger traps."

He held it out to Data, who took it, brow still furrowed. 

"Why was it funny that I got stuck?" Data asked.

"Well, everyone talks about you like you're some supergenius robot or something, but it turns out you're human just like the rest of us."

"Android," Data said.

"Sorry?"

"If I must be a machine, I would prefer to be one closer to human."

"But you're not a machine," Geordi said. "That was my point."

Data shrugged. "I have often felt like one."

Geordi wasn't sure how to respond to that. Being mostly blind for a good chunk of his life - they hadn't wanted to give a little kid such thick glasses, and even when he'd gotten them it took a while to get the prescription right - he'd learned to pay attention to voices and subtle shifts in tone. Data's tone when talking about the people who made fun of him was ever so slightly pained, but his tone here was accepting. He was comfortable with being a bit robotic, he just didn't want people to make fun of him for it.

"So, what do androids do with their friends?" Geordi asked.

Data's lips twitched into an almost-smile. "Do you like Sherlock Holmes?"


End file.
